Nancy & Mel, is This a House Cat or What?

After extensive (10 minutes) of searching of the Web re felis silvestris ornata (pictured).....

There has been much debate over evolutionary relationships of the domestic cat (Felis silvestris catus), the African wildcat (F. s. lybica), the Asian wildcat (F. s. ornata) and the European wildcat (F. s. silvestris). Molecular data indicate a very recent radiation as well as probable periodic hybridization. Analyses of both molecular and morphological data support the inclusion of the domestic cat within the species F. silvestris. The Egyptians fully domesticated cats by circa 4000 BCE, and thus it is thought that the domestic cat is derived from populations of African wildcats. Subsequent introduction into Eurasia allowed for interbreeding with European and Asian wildcat populations. Domestic cats (including feral populations) are now cosmopolitan in distribution. The skeletons of domestic and wildcats are very similar. There is much variation in skull size and shape, and some workers have been able to differentiate African wildcats, European wildcats, and domestic cats via morphometric analysis. However, there is significant overlap among the three taxa as well as with hybrids.

................... OK, it's a house cat.

Nancy & Mel, is This a House Cat or What
Originally uploaded by jakeyd.